You may have read in the news that Whoopi Goldberg has “ditched her glasses” after undergoing pioneering lens surgery for presbyopia. Denise Voon MCOptom, Clinical Adviser at the College of Optometrists has read the story and explains;
“This sounds like Whoopi has had a clear lens extraction which is the same as a cataract operation, but would only be conducted when you have minimal or no cataract. Whoopi has explained that she had presbyopia, which is a natural part of ageing and happens as your lens loses elasticity. People with presbyopia have difficulty focusing on things that are close, such as menus, phone screens and books – especially in dim lighting. Presbyopia is usually managed with glasses or contact lenses. Clear lens extraction in the treatment of presbyopia is available in UK, but patients would need to seek private treatment as it is not available on the NHS.”
More information on presbyopia
More information on cataract surgery
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